


Melancholy Kaleidoscope

by DaSly fics (i_write_hurt_not_comfort)



Series: Canon Elleo fics [3]
Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: (on twitter), Actually a lot of fluff, Angst, Canon Compliant, Crying, Elleo - Freeform, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Oops, Pandora Hearts Week 2020, Rain, Sickfic, Vomiting, day 4 will be posted elsewhere, ph week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:41:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_hurt_not_comfort/pseuds/DaSly%20fics
Summary: A series of canon Elliot/Leo fics which coincide with day 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of Pandora Hearts week on Twitter.
Relationships: Leo Baskerville/Elliot Nightray
Series: Canon Elleo fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625470
Comments: 22
Kudos: 26





	1. first kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so every single day is elliot and leo ahahhahaha how nice. the title is taken from a beautiful song on the new All time low album.  
> basically i hugely ship elleo in canon, i genuinely believe they had romantic feelings for each other. if you don't like fluffy elleo stuff from canon, don't read this.  
> day one prompt is "first kiss"  
> this fic kind of follows on from "May I" which is in the same series, although can easily be read as a stand alone. but, if you'd like to actually read what it references, then you can read this one first :3

The moon shone through a single crack in the curtains, cutting through the darkness of their room; drawing a line between their beds. The entirety of Lutwidge was silent, spare the quiet sound of rain trickling down the windows, and wind rustling the nearby bushes.

It was a peaceful night, but as Leo turned over in his bed once again, he knew for a fact that Elliot wouldn’t be asleep either.

He longed for complete darkness, almost so that he _couldn’t_ see the other. He longed for anything _but_ silence, simply so that he’d have something else to fixate on other than the voices in his head. Usually, Leo was used to insomnia. He was used to watching Elliot drift off to sleep – albeit said sleep was often plagued by nightmares – whilst he sat and read, or perched on the window sill, staring at the moonlight.

Today, however, was a little different. Because this afternoon, Elliot and Leo had had yet another argument. But, it wasn’t their usual _resolve-it-by-having-a-punch-up-then-move-on_ kind of argument.

No. Not in the slightest.

Leo hadn’t _wanted_ Elliot to learn about his feelings for him. But, instead of keeping a semi-level head like he usually _tried_ to, Leo had blurted it out. He ended up screaming to Elliot that he loved him – that’s why he’d been ignoring him. Because it was _wrong_. And he screamed that, too. In that moment, Leo unloaded nearly every insecurity he harboured onto Elliot. Even now, he felt guilty for it.

Elliot hadn’t screamed at him back, though. Instead, he’d kissed him.

Since that, neither of them had spoken. They’d gone to dinner, eaten in silence, and then returned to their dorm, read for a little, before Elliot clambered into bed. Leo wasn’t ready to go to bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to argue with Elliot again.

Hence, they were here, in a thick silence, as the time crept past midnight. Once again, Leo turned over in his bed, the mattress creaking audibly beneath him. Cracking his eyes open, he let out a small sigh. Sleep simply wouldn’t come to him tonight, and from the way Elliot’s chest was rising and falling erratically, he guessed Elliot was in a similar predicament. He groaned internally, desperate and yearning to say something but too afraid to; too afraid of these feelings which were simply _wrong,_ and would almost certainly end in someone getting hurt. 

“Leo.”

Hearing Elliot’s voice again made Leo shudder. “Yeah?”

There was a short pause, before Elliot asked, “Are you awake?”

At that, Leo really couldn’t help but chuckle a little, and whisper in response, “That’s a silly question.”

“Hmph,” Elliot huffed. But the huff was soft, and sounded much closer to amused than annoyed. After a quiet shuffle, Elliot turned around again. And from across the room – two metres apart – their eyes met. That singular gaze held a million words, and so many feelings that it made Leo physically shiver.

“Can you come here?” Elliot asked. His words were mellow, despite the slight tremble in his voice as he spoke.

Hesitantly, Leo nodded. The uncertainty he felt, as he traipsed across to Elliot’s bed, his footsteps feeling as though they were barely touching the floorboards, was indescribable by words, and yet, Leo trusted Elliot still. Within a second of reaching the bed, Elliot’s fingers wrapped around his wrist, and pulled Leo down onto the mattress with an audible _thump_.

“Lie down,” he instructed, shuffling back until his back was pressed against the wall.

Leo swallowed thickly, and did as he was told. With one hand clutching the underside of the pillow, he flung the blankets over himself, all of a sudden sharing the warmth of Elliot’s bed, which made his heart beat slighter faster. Then, he laid down, their faces only a few inches from each other.

For a few minutes, the silence continued. The longer they gazed into each other’s eyes, the calmer Leo grew.

Even if these stares held thousands of unspoken words – even if there was so much more they still needed to say – being around Elliot still made him feel safe. At home.

All of a sudden, Elliot reached up. And with that same hand, he gently tucked a strand of Leo’s hair behind his ear. The touch made Leo’s heart begin racing all of over again, but at the same time, he yearned for that same touch again.

“I’m sorry,” Leo whispered, the words slipping past his lips before he could think twice.

Immediately, Elliot retracted his hand, and pulled a face. “What for?”

“I’m not sure,” Leo said, tucking one hand beneath the pillow. “For earlier, I guess.”

“Tch.” Elliot gave a quiet snort in derision. “I’m the one who kissed you.”

“Yeah, I guess you did.” Despite the plethora of emotions he felt in that moment, Leo still found it in himself to chuckle. “Why, can I ask?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Elliot scoffed softly. Then, his eyes averting downwards, he reached out the same hand again, but this time, he took Leo’s hand. Their fingers laced together so naturally that Leo had to wonder why they hadn’t done this before now. “It’s because I like you too, idiot.”

Leo’s subtly bemused smile faded. His heart ached, because he knew _this wasn’t right_.

“Sorry.”

“Quit apologising!” Elliot yelped, although it wasn’t as angrily as Leo had expected. “I’m not ashamed of how I feel. You shouldn’t be either.”

“Ok,” Leo whispered. Finally, he began to feel calmer again. “What happens now?”

“Nothing,” Elliot said, “No one gets to know.”

“Mhm.” Leo nodded. He agreed, and it hurt, but it was true. No one _could_ know. Nothing about this love was _okay_.

After the silence dwelled for another minute or so – each of them continuing to gaze into each other’s eyes but saying nothing – Elliot pouted.

“I wouldn’t mind making things official,” he whispered.

“Oh?” Leo raised an eyebrow, doing so to cover the fact his heart began racing again. “Is that your way of asking me out?”

Leo promplty earned a kick to the shin from Elliot.

“If it is,” Leo continued, flashing him a slight grin, “then I say yes.”

“Good,” Elliot said, the pout deepening for a moment, and then fading again.

For a little longer, they said nothing. When Leo blinked, Elliot blinked. Only when Elliot gave his hand a sublte squeeze did Leo even remember their fingers were interlinked. He shifted a tiny bit, a small strand of hair falling over his face again. As soon as it did, Elliot reached out, tucking the strand of hair behind his ear again, as a tiny smile tugged at his lips. Said smile was contagious, it seemed.

“Your eyes are really beautiful, you know,” Elliot said, his words nearly inaudible. A faint blush began to spread across his face.

“I know,” Leo replied, winking.

The silence continued. Gently, Elliot began to rub his thumb over Leo’s knuckles, learning every single wrinkle and crease of his hands. The more he did, the most natural this felt, and Leo found himself desperate to touch the other again. Every feeling of shame and self-hate which he usually felt when he remembered his love for Elliot seemed to dissapear totally, and Leo seriously regretted not confessing sooner – just so they could’ve done this a few more times.

Elliot was right. They could do this. They could keep this a secret. As long as they had moments like these, no would would ever _need_ to know.

“Leo,” Elliot said, breaking the silence once again, as he reached up to Leo’s face, and placed his unoccupied hand on the side of his jawline.

Leo didn’t shiver at the touch this time. Instead, he embraced it, running his fingers over the part of Elliot’s wrist which his pyjama sleeve had left exposed. “Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, “Properly, this time.”

Although he knew he didn’t need to, Leo still nodded. And within a second, Elliot leaned forward, and placed his lips onto Leo’s. The kiss was much softer – must less apologetic and frantic than earlier. It held so much more meaning, and Leo was sure that, whenever he would remember their first kiss in the future, he’d think of this.

A few seconds later, Leo’s hand moved upwards, gently touching Elliot’s neck. His thumb ran softly over his jawline, feeling Elliot shudder a little at the touch. Their lips moved perfectly in sync, for a little longer, before they pulled away.

Leo’s lips were tingling. Part of him wanted to do it again, and again, and again.

“Hey,” Elliot whispered, pulling Leo from his dream-like trance. “Can you promise me something?”

“Sure,” Leo said, the faint smile returning to his lips.

“Never feel guilty for loving me,” Elliot said, brushing his fingers over the other’s cheeks. “I don’t want you to feel bad for… this.”

In that moment, Leo felt his heart skip a beat. “I promise.”

“Good,” Elliot said, chewing on his lower lip, almost trembling over his next words.

Still, they came out.

“I love you, Leo.”

The response left Leo’s lips so naturally that he didn’t even realise it.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! writing elliot and leo gazing into each other's eyes and just existing together will never get old for me. i love it. i love them so much.  
> be sure to leave a comment bc i'm thirsty for attention.


	2. starry sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is day 2, prompt was starry sky. here is my tribute to a level physics because im not in college anymore and taking that subject was a fucking ride alright, but now it's over i feel super nostalgic. so here's leo talking about the 3 futures of the universe.  
> also i know that some of stuff about the abyss/leo's golden flecks, elliot probably didn't know. but oh well. in all seriousness i do like to think elliot at least knew what leo saw, even if he didn't understand it or know anything about it.   
> cue the elleo angst? yah.   
> enjoy!

“Hey, Elliot.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever think about how the universe could just… explode, right now?”

Turning his head to the side, Elliot shifted his view from the sky above them to Leo, shooting him a judgemental glare, as he grumbled sarcastically, “Thanks for that…”

“No problem,” Leo snickered. His eyes flitted back upwards.

Right now, they were out at the far end of the Nightray estate garden, down by the river, on their first night alone at the Nightray estate. Ahead of them was a forest, and above them, there was a completely clear sky, the black backdrop of the night speckled with trillions of stars. The view was truly spectacular, and the atmosphere it created between Elliot and Leo, as they laid beside each other – fingers laced together by their sides – was indescribable by words.

When Elliot glanced to his side again, Leo was still staring at the sky. He smiled, turning his focus back up to the sky, and how it reminded him of Leo’s eyes. And he had to wonder – how much more beautiful would this be for Leo; to have such a view framed by tiny golden flecks?

Leo would call it more of a curse, but Elliot didn’t need to know that.

His smile fading a little, Elliot asked, “Can the universe really do that?”

“Kind of,” Leo said, kicking one leg up. “I read about it in a book once. It’s kind of weird.”

“So is most of the stuff you read…” Elliot muttered. The silence proceeded for a little longer, during which he thought more about what Leo had said.

With all the stuff which was going on around them, with the poisonings and murders and all the unknowns of the Abyss, they tried not to delve into any deep existential stuff. On silent nights like these, though, it was difficult not to.

“What… did you learn about the future of the universe?” Elliot asked.

Leo swallowed, a little hesitant to answer at first. When he felt Elliot squeeze his hand, though, he knew it’d be okay.

“Well… the universe is expanding. If you picture the universe like… one big star, then it’s the same principle, I guess,” Leo answered idly. Listening to him speak so casually whilst reciting such in depth knowledge always made Elliot smile. “Currently, the force going outwards is greater than the force pulling it inwards.” He paused, lifting his unoccupied hand, and tracing a finger over some of the stars. “Eventually, we reach a critical density, when both are equal.”

“What… happens then?”

“Well, that’s what we don’t know,” Leo hummed, once again tracing a shape over the stars with his finger. Elliot followed his every move, wondering if he could somehow see into Leo’s thoughts. “There’s three things, probably. One, is an open universe, which means we never reach the critical density, so expansion happens forever.”

“That’s… a weird concept to imagine,” Elliot muttered idly. “How can something go on _forever_ …?”

“In a world where the Abyss exists, that’s a silly question,” Leo said, chuckling to himself.

A second later, though, he stopped, his smile fading instantly. The hand, which was previously tracing shapes against the stars, was retracted, and placed over his ear, as if he’d heard something when he said that.

And, he had. The voices of those _people_ in his head were back, screaming somehow, deep in his subconscious. But once again, Elliot didn’t need to know that.

“We’ll… exist forever, though, right?” Elliot asked. But this time, his words were quieter, and softer, and slightly sheepish. “Like… just us.” He paused. “Even in different lives, or cycles, or whatever.” Another pause. “Right?”

Leo didn’t want to lie to him, but he felt no other option, as the voices in his head got louder, reminding him that he and Elliot were _different,_ even though he didn’t know how, because they never told him _that_. His grip on the strands of hair at the side of his head tightened, as he was reminded that his existence wasn’t normal, and yet still, the voices never told him _why_. It made him feel sick. 

“Yeah,” he whispered, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Lying to Elliot like that left a hollow feeling in his chest.

Silence dwelled, for a little longer. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. It felt more daunting, and the star-littered open sky of total darkness above them seemed more overwhelming than beautiful.

“What… were the other two?” Elliot asked, shifting a little, and feeling Leo’s grip on his hand tighten.

“Flat universe,” Leo answered, raising a hand and once again tracing a finger over different stars at random points. “We reach the critical density, and then the gravity slows expansion.” He paused, his hand suddenly stopping. “Or, we have a closed universe, which means the universe collapses in on itself.”

Elliot’s fingers stopped trailing over Leo’s knuckles. “So that’s what you meant when you said the universe explodes?”

“Hm, no,” Leo hummed. “That’d take around 14 billion years. If the universe explodes, it’d most likely be if the sun turns into a supernova. Ah, but the sun isn’t a supergiant, that probably won’t happen.”

“Jeez, how do you remember all this stuff?” Elliot scoffed. Leo’s mind always amazed him.

Leo simply shrugged, a subtly boastful smile tugging at his lips. “Easy. I just do.”

“Hmph,” Elliot pouted. He watched Leo’s finger draw out some shape for a little longer, before finally asking, “What are you tracing?”

“Just what I see,” Leo mumbled, and then pulls his hand away, holding it close to his chest, as a sheepish smile twitched at his lips. “Ah, I was wondering if the golden flecks meant anything if I traced over them.”

“Oh,” Elliot said, and then fell silent. Leo very rarely spoke of the enigmatic _golden flecks_ only he saw. “Do they?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Leo muttered, his hand shifting down to his stomach, as he took a shaky exhale.

Once again, silence commenced. It was heavier, still, like the unspoken words between them were holding them together, and weighing them down, all at once.

“So,” Elliot started again, breaking the silence, “if the sun did explode… how long would we have?”

“About 7 minutes,” Leo said, “Technically, we could be in that period right now.”

“What a lovely thought,” Elliot muttered sarcastically, a blush spreading over his cheeks for a second. He grumbled under his breath, “At least my last moments would be with you…”

Immediately, Leo gave a derisive snort. “That’s just cringy.”

“I’m serious!” Elliot said, tearing his eyes from the tiny specks of light in the sky to turn his head and fix his view on the tiny specks of light in Leo’s eyes. He pouted, just slightly, but the second he did, Leo chuckled.

Then, he leaned forward, and their lips met. As it always was, the kiss was soft. A few seconds in, Leo turned around, cupping his free hand over Elliot’s jawline, one leg wrapping around the other’s leg.

When they pulled away, and gazed into each other’s eyes for another few seconds, small but powerful smiles donning their lips, there was only one sentence resting on Leo’s tongue – one which he rarely said first.

“Elliot,” he whispered, as Elliot began to run his fingers through his hair. “I love you.”

In the reflection of Elliot’s glassy irises, Leo saw a shooting star above them, as Elliot replied.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! be sure to drop me a comment :))


	3. rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so here's day 3! the prompt was rain.   
> i just. i love them akjdkg. i have nothing more to say. (also making them drink champagne because i can't drink it anymore :"))   
> enjoy!

Being in a secret relationship wasn’t easy. And Elliot and Leo were beginning to learn that the hard way.

Having said that, they had it easier than some would. Since bringing Leo to Lutwidge with him as his valet, the two had earnt themselves a bit of a reputation. People knew them as close friends, constantly together, but that was mostly because they were master-and-valet. And they argued, still – a lot, too.

What they had to be careful of was seeming _too_ close. When their hands brushed, and their eyes met for a few brief seconds, they knew they had to break it. And it hurt, because if it were up to Elliot and Leo, they’d keep staring, and keeping touching, for just a little longer.

In a society like theirs, though, that simply wasn’t allowed. That was possibly something they’d never get used to.

One of the times they did have to themselves, however, was the nights. Tonight, was Friday night, which was risky, because some of their peers did sneak out onto the lawn on Friday nights to drink fancy wine they stole from their parents. But, when they’d had exams all week, and hadn’t had any time to themselves, it was worth the risk.

The school grounds were quiet, as they walked through the secret paths, through vines and concrete pillars which few students knew about. Their hands fitted perfectly together, their fingers laced together like a jigsaw, and no matter how many times Elliot almost tripped (it had had happened multiple times so far, to Leo’s amusement), their grasp on each other never faltered.

“Someone else was asking about you today,” Leo said, snickering to himself as Elliot tripped on a loose cobble again, and tried to cover it up. (That was what he got for opting to lead, Leo thought).

“Oh really?” Elliot grunted, “What’d they say?”

“Just asking what you’re really like,” Leo said idly, tapping a finger to his lower lip. “Hmm, apparently you come across as intimidating.”

“Tch. I hope you told them I was exactly that,” Elliot said as he puffed out his chest, a triumphant smirk donning his lips.

“Nope,” Leo snickered, “I told them you were a bit dense, quite short-tempered, but also a massive softie.”

Said triumphant smirk quickly faded. His eyebrow twitched. “Why, you…”

“I wouldn’t worry about them,” Leo said, his tone turning a little darker. “They won’t speak of you again.”

“Oh God,” Elliot deadpanned, “What did you do?”

“Hm… nothing too severe,” Leo hummed, knowing Elliot didn’t believe him. “Ah, they soon began talking bad of your family. And you. That’s when I took matters into my own hands.”

Pursing his lips, Elliot said no more. Part of him wished Leo didn’t get as involved in his problems, but at the same time, anyone talking shit about the Nightray’s rightfully got what was coming to them.

They were only walking for a few more minutes, the silence between them tranquil, before Leo stopped.

“What?” Elliot tilted his head, Leo’s grip on his hand tightening for a second, as he was stopped in tracks.

Glancing upwards, Leo frowned a little, his eyebrows pulling together. (Elliot couldn’t see this, of course, but he knew all of Leo’s expressions off by heart.)

Leo lifted a hand, slightly, and announced, “It’s raining.”

By the time Elliot caught a glimpse of the few droplets of rain on Leo’s palm, he felt a few more on his face. Then, on his hands. They glanced around, each acknowledging that they were nowhere close to their dorm.

“Let’s just… go back,” Elliot said, as they two began walking again, but a little quicker.

It seemed as though, however, nature was against them. Within the space of a minute, the rain switched from a light drizzle, which could be tolerated just about, to a full-on torrential downpour, puddles forming on the cobblestones where they walked.

“Shit…!” Elliot cursed, raising a hand above his face as if it would – by some miracle – sheild him from the rain.

“That way,” Leo said, running his free hand through his soaked hair, before taking off in the direction of the forest. He smirked, knowing Elliot was always creeped out by this forest at night. It was always deserted, and whilst Leo wasn’t one hundred percent confident in going there, they had no choice. The rain had only been going for a minute, and they were already drenched.

After sprinting across the field, their white uniforms covered in mud and dirty rainwater, Elliot and Leo finally made it to shelter, finding a small concrete hut, surronded by vines, tucked away in the forest. As Leo stood there by the entrance, leaning on one of the columns as he caught his breath (he didn’t have the best stamina in the world, let’s be honest), Elliot began pacing around the space, eyeing it over.

The structure they were enclosed in was rather simple, with seven pillars surrounding concrete walls, with large windows which were framed by trees, and concrete benches lining all sides of the space except by the door. In the centre of the space was a table, but the previously white-washed concrete was now stained by moss and dirt, so it’d certainly been there a while. There was very little light, but it’d have to make do, the sound of the relentless rain pattering against the leaves surrounding them showing no signs of giving up any time soon.

Once he’d finished panting, Leo pulled out a box of matches, striking one alight and setting fire to the worn-out candle sticks on each pillar. They flickered for a bit, before eventually catching alite. The small flames didn’t provide much light, but it was better than nothing. If anything, they created an eerie atmosphere, Leo’s heart fluttering as he glanced up and saw Elliot now sitting down, leaning against one of the pillows, the rain and leaves and vines framing his face.

“Shit, I’m filthy,” Elliot grunted, slumping forward and letting out a long _huff_.

“I’ll clean it tomorrow,” Leo said, forcing himself to stop staring at Elliot. But the second he did, he saw Elliot staring at him, as he turned sideways, and smirked, deliberately running his fingers through his wet hair as sensually as possible. Then, he paced around the space, checking in all the spaces and hidden compartments for maybe another source of light.

He didn’t find that; however, he _did_ find something better.

“Hmm, I think some of the upperclassmen were planning a little date here,” Leo snickered, reaching into the small tucked away space behind the opposite bench, and pulling out a bottle of champagne, and two glasses. He stood up, walking back to Elliot, the heels of his shoes clicking against the concrete floor, with a triumphant smirk stretched across his face.

“What if someone finds us?!” Elliot yelped, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest as Leo sat down beside him. “Crap, Leo. That stuff is expensive. We can’t use that.”

Leo shrugged, sitting cross-legged. Intentionally, he rubbed one knee against Elliot’s thigh, popping open the champagne and pouring it into two glasses. “Finder’s keepers. They’re the ones who left it there.” He passed one to Elliot, and then gestured to the storm going on outside. “Besides, no one is going to come here right now.”

“Tch, fine,” Elliot grunted, reluctantly clinking his glasses against Leo’s, before taking a sip himself. He shivered, the taste being just as vile as how he remembered. “Yuck. That’s gross.”

“The more expensive it in, the worse it tends to be,” Leo hummed, swirling the liquid around in the glass, as he held it up to the faint light, before taking a long swig. “Back when I was at Fianna’s house, sometimes I’d sneak some of the cheap wine the staff had into my room for the night.” He chuckled, masking the tight feeling that arose in his throat every time he spoke of _that place_. “Aha, those were some good nights, but unpleasant mornings.”

“I’m not surprised…” Elliot grumbled. A second later, he shivered. “Shit, Leo, it’s freezing.”

Leo couldn’t help but chuckle, and deliver a classic-Leo, snarky response. “Hm, yes. They don’t tend to have central heating in the middle of the forest.”

He earnt an elbow to the ribs for that.

“I’ll put the fire on when we go back,” Leo said a little, taking the last large gulp of his drink. Then, he sighed contently, and lulled his head onto Elliot’s shoulder.

“Good,” Elliot said, pouting, before taking another swing of the drink and screwing his face up again. “Tch, I’ll never understand how aristocrats can drink this stuff…”

“You’re an aristocrat too, you know,” Leo oh-so-dutifully reminded him, placing down the glass and wrapping one arm around Elliot’s. Nestling his head into Elliot’s neck, he took Elliot’s hand in his. “You’ll have to get used to it.”

“Hmph.”

As he turned his head upwards and caught a glimpse of Elliot’s pout, Leo couldn’t help but seize the opportunity, and he sat up, placed one hand on Elliot’s chin, then turned his face towards him. He flashed a brief smile, before placing his lips onto Elliot’s, sighing internally when he melted into the kiss.

All of a sudden, the sound of torrential downpour just behind them was drowned out by a beautiful silence.

Then, Elliot pulled away, and cringed. “Ugh… Leo, your stupid hair soaked my collar too!”

At that, Leo couldn’t help but simply laugh evilly, and matter-of-factly bury his head deeper into Elliot’s shoulder. Sarcastically, he muttered, “Awe, I love you too.”

“Yeah,” Elliot scoffed, downing the rest of the champagne and swallowing the urge to grimace. He deadpanned, “I love you _too_ , dumbass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! as always, comments are much appreciated :33


	4. dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo we're back to Elliot and Leo heheh. the prompt for day 5 is dancing, although one of the other options which was unbirthday also gets some mentions. i suppose it's a bit of both. anyway, to clarify, i imagine this taking place the day after unbirthday. also descriptions aren't my strongest point in writing so if you want a visual representation of where they went, check out my fic twitter, @DaSlyfics :)  
> no content warnings besides the major feels applies here :)  
> enjoy!

“Leo, we’re going to get caught-“

“Shh, Elliot. I’ll cover for us.”

Sure enough, the moment Leo said that, and they turned the corner into the next corridor, they spotted Vanessa. Before Elliot could grab Leo’s wrist and pull him back, Vanessa spotted them, and whilst Leo apparently _laughed_ , Elliot felt his heart sink.

“What are you doing out?” she interrogated with venom in her words, marching over to the two with fists clenched at her sides. “After you pulled that sneaking-out business _yesterday_. I thought we told you to stay _inside_.”

Ah, Yeah. Yesterday. _Yesterday_ , when they’d snuck out to find Oz at the Vessalius estate, and then been roped into an unbirthday party, which at first seemed stupid, but Elliot and Leo would be lying if they said they hadn’t enjoyed it. But, now, they were stuck inside, after Elliot had been scolded multiple times by his sister _and_ father.

He groaned. He just wanted to get out of that house. “Right, but-“

“Be quiet, Elliot,” Vanessa cut him off, then locked her vicious glare on Leo, who didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. “And you,” she spat, “Why are you letting him leave again? You’re his valet, aren’t you?”

“Mhm,” Leo nodded, “Ah, very sorry. You see, it’s Spring now, and we ought to be revising for our exams, once we return to Lutwidge,” he said, and Elliot wondered where the _hell_ he was going with this. “We were just heading to the library. Is that okay?”

“Tch…” Vanessa scoffed, and Elliot grinned internally, his heart no longer racing. “ _Fine_. But hurry up.” Then, her glare turned soft, as her focus dropped to the floor. “It’s not safe out there.”

Suddenly being filled with guilt (albeit not enough to change his mind), Elliot stepped forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be fine, Vanessa. I promise.”

At that, Vanessa grabbed his hand, ripped it off her, and stormed off.

“That’s that sorted,” Leo muttered, before grabbing Elliot’s wrist and dragging him down the corridor. Elliot frowned at first, but the moment they were outside, and the sun hit his face, he no longer felt bad.

“Where did you want to take me?” he asked, as Leo checked over his shoulder one last time, making sure they were totally out of sight, before slipping his hand into Elliot’s. Elliot released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“I told you,” Leo said, jumping over the log which rested across the path that slowly began to lead them into the forest. “I found this place. I wanted to show you.”

As the two continued walking through the forest, a peaceful silence settling over them, Leo felt a subtle smile pull at his lips. The weather was turning warmer, and every time he glanced up, and spotted light dappled within the leaves of the trees, he was reminded of yesterday – the first time in a while where he’d felt like he had a relatively normal life.

Eventually, they made it out of the forest, and onto a small upward path. Checking Elliot was still following, Leo flashed him a grin, before leading him through the passage. For a moment, he had to let go of Elliot’s hand, to grasp the fence and climb over it. Immediately, his hand felt empty, but thankfully, after another few seconds, Elliot also made it over the fence. The very second his feet touched down on the grass beside him, Leo’s hand slid back into his, their fingers interweaving.

Then, they glanced ahead.

Elliot didn’t recognise this place. Somehow, Leo had led them up onto the top of a small hill – presumably one at the end of the forest, which was always hidden. On the top of this hill, there was a single cherry blossom tree: one which Elliot had (like the whole of this place) never seen before. Ahead of them was the view, which was nothing short of spectacular. Framed by a clear, blue sky, they could see fields and fields for miles ahead, along with forests, and just in the distance, they could see Sablier.

“This place is beautiful…” The words slipped past Elliot’s lips as Leo squeezed his hand.

“I know,” Leo said, pulling him away from the fence and up to the tree. Because it was Spring, the tree was beginning to blossom, a few petals falling off it as a gust of wind brushed past them.

There was something about the way they stood there, gazing into the distance, hand in hand, with cherry blossom petals flying around them, which couldn’t be described in words. It felt magical, and surreal, as if they didn’t deserve it.

Wordlessly, Leo led Elliot to the base of the tree, pulling him down beside him. For a few moments, they sat in silence, relishing in the tranquillity. At some point, Leo’s head lulled onto Elliot’s shoulder, his hair tickling Elliot’s neck as another gust of wind brushed past them.

“This reminds me of yesterday,” Elliot said idly, squinting into the distance. With his free hand, he pointed at a small cluster of buildings, around a garden, and surrounded by a small forest. “Is that the Vessalius manor?”

“Hm, no,” Leo hummed, lifted his head and readjusting his glasses for a second. “That’s the Rainsworth manor.” With his free hand, he pointed to another estate, surrounded by less forest, but with a bigger garden, and a river just a few hundred yards from what looked like the main building. “ _That’s_ the Vessalius manor.”

“Oh.”

Silence filled the air, for less than a minute, before it was broken again by Elliot. It took a few moments for Leo to recognise what he was humming.

“ _Lacie_ , hm?” Leo muttered, glancing aside. As a stabbing pain attacked his chest, his grip on Elliot’s hand tightened. The memory pained him, but as he listened to Elliot humming the piece, Leo couldn’t help but think back to when Oz and his crew has infiltrated Lutwidge, and Elliot had claimed that _he_ wrote Lacie.

Elliot didn’t write Lacie. Leo did. Leo wrote Lacie. And yet, Elliot claimed it was his.

When Leo had asked him about it, he’d been faced with a wall of confusion.

Leo swallowed, a sick feeling washing over him. Could Elliot’s memories have been altered somehow?

“Did you write it down?”

Oh, right. Elliot was speaking. “Hm?”

“The violin part,” Elliot said, “Yesterday, when you and I played this. That pipsqueak joined in on the violin.” He sighed, rolling his eyes. “It was pretty good. I have to admit.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Leo said. The song was playing out in his head now, a soft smile pulling at his lips, and all of a sudden, he was overwhelmed by the urge to do something he’d never done before. “Come on.”

“What?” Elliot asked, being pulled to his feet. Leo stumbled back, and grabbed Elliot’s other hand, pulling their bodies closer, until they were two inches apart.

“Keep humming it,” Leo whispered. At first, Elliot was a little taken aback, but he kept humming nonetheless. As he did, Leo took one step forward, forcing Elliot to follow his steps. He freed one hand, placing it on Elliot’s waist. He glanced up, and met Elliot’s eyes briefly, as a smile tugged at his lips. Elliot’s hand shifted to Leo’s shoulder, mimicking his steps, as he continued humming _Lacie_.

“Who taught you to dance?” Elliot asked, before continuing to hum along to the melody.

Leo grinned, taking a step to the side, as they repeated the small routine. “Read about it once.” He snickered, registering the dumbfounded but somewhat impressed expression on Elliot’s face. “I could ask you the same.”

“Tch, I had lessons,” Elliot said. He’d stopped humming the tune now, but the rhythm in their steps remained. A second later, Leo tripped over Elliot’s foot, almost stumbling but being saved by Elliot’s hand, tightening its grip in his.

Flashing a grin at Elliot, Leo quickly captured his lips, his eyes falling shut as his hand slid up from Elliot’s waist to his shoulder. He felt Elliot release a breath, his hand pulling away from Leo’s and slipping into his hair, raking his fingers through a few strands. Then, his hand moved to his jawline, as he slipped his tongue past Leo’s lips. Leo smirked into his kiss, parting his lips further.

Moments later, Elliot pulled away, his eyes peeling open. With the hand which had been on Leo’s neck, he slipped off his glasses, their eyes meeting finally, as he kissed his lips again – just for a split second, before whispering those same words. _“_ I love you.”

Their foreheads touching, Leo felt a smile pull onto his lips once again. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! as always, comments are much appreciated :)))


	5. blankets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i saw this prompt and i just couldn't resist doing a classic elleo sickfic akdjghakjg. this takes place a few days before the isla yura events.   
> brace yourself for tomorrow :) 
> 
> tw: vomiting. 
> 
> enjoy :))

Ever since Elliot took Leo as his valet, he’d never seen him get sick.

Leo knew this. In all honesty, he was surprised at that fact too. When he was growing up at Fianna’s house, he seemed to get sick every month – albeit that was probably because little children had no sense of hygiene. But since moving to the Nightray’s, then to Lutwidge, he hadn’t gotten sick once.

Until now. And considering how many times he had told Elliot that he wouldn’t be very nurturing, Leo was honestly surprised how much Elliot took care of him. The first time he’d been sick, which was only this morning, Elliot had hauled him back to the bed, taken his temperature, and then gone to find a doctor. After burying Leo in three blankets, of course.

The doctor hadn’t seemed overly concerned. All he’d said was that it was a seasonal stomach bug – that he’d get better with rest and fluids. Elliot had taken that on board, and had gone out of his way to be Leo’s personal carer all day. All that had done was give Leo one more thing to tease him about.

What Leo _didn’t_ mention was how he was just slightly concerned. He’d been receiving letters almost every day from House of Fianna, letting him know that another one of the children whom he’d consider family had gotten sick. A few days after that, he’d receive another letter to notify him that they’d passed.

But Elliot didn’t need to know about that. He didn’t want to make him worry needlessly. This was probably all a coincidence.

Nothing really bad could be wrong, right?

Currently, Elliot was getting him soup. He thought, at least – he’d been half asleep when Elliot made the annoucement that he was leaving. Leo sighed, shifting a little as another wave of nausea washed over him. Just as a precaution, he slipped one of the (many) blankets off his shoulders, letting it fall to the pillow as he sat up, swallowing again.

The moment he began to feel dizzy, and the disgusting coppery taste made itself known to his tastebuds, Leo flung the other two blanks off himself, before sinking into the back of the wall. He sighed, his eyes darting to the bathroom door, and suddenly, the idea of getting brought food made him feel ever sicker.

Less than three seconds later, he gagged, and bolted to the bathroom.

Leo had always hated throwing up. He hated how it felt; how it wracked him dry and made him weak and exhausted.

Thankfully, only ten seconds after he’d started, he heard the door shut behind him. The smell of food made him gag again, but this time, Elliot was beside him, crouching down just behind him and placing a hand on his back, right below his neck. He could tell Elliot was probably grimacing, and Leo felt bad for letting him do this. But as Elliot began rubbing circles on his back, switching direction every time he heaved, Leo couldn’t force himself to tell the other to stop.

Less than a minute later, it was over, and the nausea subsided. Leo groaned, once again feeling empty. He glanced down, screwing his face up at the smell before reaching forward and flushing the toilet.

“Sorry,” Elliot muttered, scooting aside before passing him a glass of water.

“Sorry for what?” Leo scoffed. Sipping the water didn’t make his stomach feel anymore settled, but it did flush away the acrid taste.

“You know,” Elliot said, his gaze averting to the opposite wall as a sheepish frown appeared on his face, “for not being here…”

Leo couldn’t help but snort. “That’s silly.”

“Look, just…” Elliot rolled his eyes, standing up and passing Leo a tissue. “Clean up and get back into bed. You need rest.”

Depsite how awful he felt, seeing Elliot filled Leo with the tiniest feeling of happiness. He snickered, cleaning his face before hauling himself up with the help of the toilet seat.

“Yes, _master_ ,” Leo said mockingly, placing a hand to his head as another spell of faintness overwhelmed him. He didn’t think he’d throw up again, but if it wasn’t for Elliot rushing to his side, grabbing the glass of water off him, and giving him something to lean on, Leo was sure he would’ve collapsed in that moment.

“Idiot,” Elliot grunted, guiding him back to the bed. The moment Leo fell onto the mattress with an audible _thump_ , Elliot was by his side again. And even if they couldn’t touch, or hug, or kiss (because Leo really couldn’t be bothered with taking care of Elliot), he still felt less alone.

The first thing Elliot did was try to bury Leo in blankets again.

“Elliot, no,” Leo said, weakly shoving the first blanket off his shoulders.

“The doctor said to keep you warm and comfortable,” Elliot pouted, flinging the blanket back over Leo’s shoulders. This time, however, he also threw it over himself, and suddenly, Leo felt fractionally less miserable.

When Elliot shuffled closer, Leo sighed. “Elliot, you’ll get sick too.”

“Shut up! Lemme do my job!” Elliot yelped, a pout tugging at his lips again. “It’s my job to make sure my valet is okay, got it?”

“Mhm, okay,” Leo nodded, snickering under his breath.

“Besides, you owe me,” Elliot murmured, his hand edging closer to Leo’s but not holding it yet. “I took care of you all day, idiot. And you’re literally my valet!”

“Hm, I suppose.” Leo tapped a finger to his lips, rummaging through his memory for another old folk remedy he’d read about. “I’d rub ginger essential oil on your pillow, at least.”

“Wow, thanks,” Elliot deadpanned sarcastically. Silence hung, for a little longer, before he spoke again. “Do you think you’ll be better for Oz’s second coming of age ceremony this weekend?”

At the mention of that, for some reason, a cold sweat washed over Leo, and he felt terribly sick again. “Yeah. Should be.”

“Good,” Elliot said, furrowing his eyebrows, as his fingers began lightly tracing over Leo’s wrist under the blanket. “I don’t want to go alone.”

“You’d have you sister,” Leo said, shivering at the touch.

“Oh yippee,” Elliot rolled his eyes, his tone laced with sarcasm. “Whatever. Just don’t bail on me.”

“You better make sure you’re not sick too, then,” Leo chuckled. Still, though, the nauseous feeling of dread never left.

“I won’t be,” Elliot said, a proud smirk stretching across his face. “I never get sick!”

Leo snorted derisively. Again. “Sure.”

At that, Elliot pouted, sliding back against the wall, but keeping his hand hovering over Leo’s.

“If I wasn’t sick right now, I’d kiss you,” Leo said, turning to face Elliot and grinning. “That pout is terribly tempting.” Elliot only pouted _more_ at that, and Leo laughed again, gazing dreamily at the ceiling. “Why don’t we just ditch the ceremony and stay here all weekend?” His grin turned more suggestive, as he nudged Elliot’s shoulder. “Make the most of the time alone, if you get what I mean?”

“Tch, _Leo_.” Elliot elbowed him in the ribs, a deep blush spreading across his face. “We can’t miss it for… _that_ …”

“Aw,” Leo pouted, “and I thought you loved me.”

“I _do_ , idiot,” Elliot rolled his eyes, the blush still fresh on his cheeks.

Leaning his head on Elliot’s shoulder – suddenly not caring whether they missed the weekend’s event or not – Leo smiled. “I love you too.”

Somewhere in the future, when he remembers this, Leo wishes they _had_ missed that event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading my tooth rotting fluff with a generous side serving of angst.   
> please leave me your thoughts ;)


	6. just a dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellloooo here's day 7! It's the free day. I chose to make it angsty im sorry it just happened and then i sobbed writing it.  
> I hope you've enjoyed this little fic collection :) i really enjoyed writing it. And thanks to @PandoraHweek2020 on Twitter for organizing this!
> 
> tw: mentions of death, crying, spoilers for manga.

And then, Leo wakes up.

It’s not like the other times he’s woken up, though. Usually, he wakes up in covered in sweat, desperately panting for breath, and unable to separate what he’d seen from reality. This time, however, he wakes up in a dream-like state, his head cloudy, although slightly heavy as well.

As his eyes peel open, he doesn’t see a bright blue sky, or a sky filled with stars against a black backdrop, or grey clouds creating a torrential downpour. No – instead, above him, he sees a ceiling, slowly being illuminated by the light breaking through a crack in the curtains.

Groggily, with his head still fuzzy, Leo sits up, holding a hand to his head. And then, the moment he’s fully upright, his heart drops, and Leo wants to blame gravity for that. But he can’t, because at that moment, when he glances around the room, reality smacks him around the face.

Right. It was just a dream. It was all a dream. It was always just a dream.

Leo grips the sheets which have now fallen off his body, his fingers curling around the fabric until they tremble. He glances around, with wide eyes filling with tears, for a few seconds, before the tears begin to slip down his cheeks, pooling on the fabric below him. And he sits, for just a little while, allowing himself to cry as he desperately tries to bring the things he saw and heard and _lived_ through in his dreams to the surface of his consciousness.

He can’t.

Moments later, he hears the door crack open.

“Your tea, master,” the person opening the door, holding a tray in one hand, says, calmly – until he lays his eyes on Leo. “Is everything alright?”

 _Master_.

It’s been years, and Leo still isn’t used to being called that. A few more tears slip down his face.

Yes. This is where he is now. This is where things ended. Elliot had died three years ago. He’s 19 now. His hair has grown. His voice has dropped. He wears different clothes. He’s a different person. He’s head of the Baskervilles. He’s over-seeing everything the Baskervilles are doing to return and maintain order in the Abyss.

Elliot’s not with him.

“Is something troubling you, master?”

Slowly, Leo turns his head, glassy eyes scanning the person over, before he registers who it is.

“Vincent,” he says sharply. Then, he grits his teeth, and glances aside, staring at the adjacent wall. He’s too afraid to tell Vincent why his heart aches so much right now. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I will leave if you order me to,” Vincent says, placing the tray down and taking a few small steps towards the bed. And Leo wants to lash out at him, and indeed order him to leave, but he can’t. Vincent was Elliot’s brother, and seeing him right now – with the feelings of longing and agony and grief so fresh in his heart – is painful.

“I dreamt about Elliot,” Leo whispers. That’s all he remembers. The memories themselves, he can’t seem to replay. All he knows is that waking up has left a huge hole in his chest, and all Leo wants to do is go back to sleep. That way, he can be with Elliot again.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Vincent replies, his words laced with melancholy and not much else. The silence lingers, for a little longer, before he adds, “I’ve been meaning to ask about that.”

Leo’s heart stops. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Wordlessly, he stands up, slides off the bed, and saunters over to the window, leaning on the window frame. Delicately trembling fingers run over the curtains, torn and cut – Vincent’s doing, he supposed. He didn’t care; if anything, it was simply a reminder of how broken they all are there, with pieces having been cut out, or with parts missing.

For Leo, that part is Elliot.

“There is nothing to tell,” Leo says weakly. His words tremble. He’s not sure how much longer he can pretend he’s okay.

“Leo,” Vincent says, remaining where he stands. His words remain nonchalant on the surface, but if you listen really carefully, you can hear slight hints of concern and compassion woven into them as well. “It’s been three years since Elliot left us. Yet, you still mourn for him.”

Leo says nothing. He _can’t_. His throat has closed up, and he’s fairly certain that if he tries to speak, he’ll cry.

As he registers the silence, Vincent lets out a soft sigh, a nostalgic, sorrowful smile tugging at his lips as he sits on the end of the bed, merely two metres from Leo. Leo never once meets his eyes, though.

“I apologise if I’m over-stepping any boundaries,” Vincent says, tilting his head slightly. “If Elliot was simply your master, three years after his death, you would not still be grieving as hard.”

“He was just a friend,” Leo tries to say defensively, but it comes out more as a whimper. He knows the other can tell he’s lying.

Vincent sighs again. “I know what the grieving of a friends like,” he says, “and I know what the grieving of someone you loved deeply looks like. I’ve seen it.”

For a moment, Leo wonders whether Vincent is talking about Ada. Quickly, that thought leaves his mind, as his gaze turns back to the window. He watches the sunrise creeping over the horizon, a view which would normally be spectacular, but he’s since lost the ability to admire the beauty in things. Everything he sees is framed by those _stupid_ golden flecks, caused by the very thing which haunts his existence, and destroyed the one thing he loved dearly.

Now, everything he sees, and _feels_ , is in broken pieces – shattered, and meaningless. The only person who could make him whole again is Elliot, but no matter how much he calls for him in his heart, he’s not coming back.

“He…” Leo stammers, a lump forming in his throat. He doesn’t really want to out himself to Vincent like this, but he can tell that Vincent already knows. “Nobody knew about it.”

“Hm?” Vincent hums. Seconds later, he drags his fingers through the loose ponytail which falls past his shoulder, giving a bitter snort. “Well, I’m not surprised. It’s hardly _conventional_.”

Once again, Leo wants to glare at him. He wants to throw something at him, and tell him this is none of his business, but he can’t bring himself to when he’s hurting this much.

“How long?” Vincent asks.

“Seven months,” Leo says quietly, following which is a quiet sniff, but no tears fall yet. His words – like Vincent’s – slowly become overridden by apathy. “We were at Lutwidge. We’d gotten into an argument, and then I… blurted it out at him. And then he just… kissed me.” He pauses, a light tingling in his lips reminding him that he can still remember how Elliot tasted. “We kept it a secret. Spent the nights together, when we were alone.”

This time, Vincent falls silent, and Leo is the one who keeps speaking.

“I miss his hand in mine,” he whispers, eyes shaking, as they begin to fill with tears again. “I miss the way he looked at me. The way he smiled.” Another pause. “The way we kissed.”

When Leo hears Vincent is still not saying anything, his heart aches again. With a self-deprecating chuckle, he says, “Yeah. It was wrong. Call me disgusting or whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Leo,” Vincent says, standing up, and taking just one step closer. “Nothing about what you’ve described is wrong.” He smiles, albeit crookedly. “Somewhere in another dimension, created by the Abyss, you and him are happy together. Living freely. I can promise you.”

“I hope so,” Leo whispers, his voice cracking. His chest feels heavy. He wants to cry.

He wants – _needs_ Elliot. He needs to see him again; to hold his hand, and look deep into his eyes, and to feel his body again his.

“Did you tell him that you loved him?” Vincent asks.

Suddenly, the memories which he’d dreamt last night flood back to Leo’s consciousness. Now, he remembers it – all of the times he told Elliot he loved him. A single tear rolls down his cheek.

“Yeah. I did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading til the end!! Comments are welcome as always! :D


End file.
